Astros’ Will Wagner Stands Out For His Reliability
Will Wagner’s professionalism stood out right away when he joined Low-A Fayetteville in 2021. Back then Joe Thon was a depth coach for the Woodpeckers.
Two years later, Thon was promoted to Double-A Corpus Christi manager, where he was reunited with the 25-year-old Wagner.
So Thon knows quite a bit about Wagner’s development.
“He’s a good professional,” Thon said of Wagner, who is the son of former all-star closer Billy Wagner. “Everything is consistent. He works very hard and has a very quiet confidence. He’s aware of everything.
“He’s a great player to have around.”
Wagner, who has split most of his time in the minor leagues between second base and third base, has steadily climbed the Astros’ farm system since he was drafted in the 18th round out of Liberty in 2021.
This year Wagner hit .309/.385/.507 with seven home runs in 53 games for Corpus Christi . He finished the season at Triple-A Sugar Land, where he went 15-for-28 (.577) with three doubles in six games.
“Wags is one of those that if you see him throughout the year, he stands out,” Thon said. “He has consistent at-bats. He’s a very polished hitter.”
Wagner is a career .291 hitter with a .390 on-base percentage as a professional.
This season Wagner played 40 games at second base and 20 at third base. Last season he appeared at first base, too.
“He’s been working very hard with that,” Thon said of Wagner’s defensive skills. “Every day I was out early, and he was always asking for extra work. He has sure hands, and his work ethic is fantastic.”
